Patrick Dangerfield will be asked to present the 2017 Brownlow Medal winner with the award
AN uncomfortable Brownlow Medal night looms with the AFL confirming Patrick Dangerfield will still be invited to this year’s award and asked to present the winner with the 2017 medal.
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PATRICK Dangerfield could find himself in the uncomfortable position of handing this year’s Brownlow Medal to a player with fewer votes than him.
The AFL confirmed Dangerfield would still be invited to present this year’s Brownlow Medal, despite being ineligible.
As the current holder of the most recent Brownlow Medal he will have the task of putting the 2017 Brownlow around the neck of the winner.
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On Tuesday, Dangerfield accepted a one-match suspension for his dangerous tackle on Matthew Kreuzer, making him ineligible.
The star Cat said it was now time to move forward.
“Nobody likes missing games of footy, I certainly don’t, but we’ve got a greater goal that is bigger than myself, and just this weekend we’ve got a clear vision for what we want to achieve,” Dangerfield said.
“You weigh up a whole myriad of different things and that (challenging) comes into your calculations but at the end of the day it’s a decision that is based on what is best for us as a group and as a club and now it is about moving forward and focusing on this week.
“It (the Brownlow Medal) is not in my thinking, and people can speculate as much as they like, but if you’re involved in any sort of sport you understand that the most important thing is being involved on the final day and being triumphant.”
Dangerfield could still poll the most votes but be on stage as he hands the medal to an eligible victor.
AFL spokesman Patrick Keane confirmed he would be invited to this year’s Brownlow Medal and asked to perform that task.
“All former winners are invited for life. We have had plenty of Brownlow Medallists who have been suspended in later years who have attended,’’ Keane said.
“For the last 10 or 12 years we have invited the (last year’s winner) and given them that option (to present the medal).”
The Cats would hope to be in the 2017 Grand Final, but given Dangerfield lives only 90 minutes away from Melbourne would be expected to attend.
Cats football boss Steve Hocking said there was too much risk for the Cats to consider challenging the one-match verdict.
Richmond’s Dustin Martin is now the white-hot Brownlow favourite - $1.18 at TAB - to take out the Brownlow Medal.
He would be the second Richmond Brownlow Medallist in 10 months given Trent Cotchin was retrospectively awarded a 2012 Brownlow Medal stripped from Jobe Watson.
What should have been one of the great Brownlow nights ever will be spent dreading a suspended player might win. Update Brownlow eligibility
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) July 31, 2017
So Dangerfield might poll the most Brownlow votes and then have to present the medal to the winner.
— Nick Quinn (@Quinny_1) July 31, 2017
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